both as regards God and man. His grace bestows all that our lowness
needs, His truth teaches all that our ignorance requires. All our
gifts and all our knowledge come from the Incarnate Word, in whom
believing we are the children of God.




THE LIGHT AND THE LAMPS


'He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that
Light.'--JOHN i. 8.

'He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a
season to rejoice in His light.'--JOHN v. 35.

My two texts both refer to John the Baptist. One of them is the
Evangelist's account of him, the other is our Lord's eulogium upon
him. The latter of my texts, as the Revised Version shows, would be
more properly rendered, 'He was a lamp' rather than 'He was a light,'
and the contrast between the two words, the 'light' and 'the lamps,'
is my theme. I gather all that I would desire to say into three
points: 'that Light' and its witnesses; the underived Light and the
kindled lamps; the undying Light and the lamps that go out.

I. First of all, then, the contrast suggested to us is between 'that
Light' and its witnesses.

John, in that profound prologue which is the deepest part of